This Week's Round-up of Middle Grade Fantasy and Sci Fi from around the blogs (May 5, 2013)

This week's roundup of middle grade fantasy and science fiction is brought to you from the Springfield Marriott, where I am at the New England Society for Childrens' Book Writers and Illustrators, trying hard to remember to introduce myself as "a writer of archaeological non-fiction" and not "a book blogger." As always, please let me know if I missed your link; I'll add it when I get home this afternoon!

The Reviews:

Alanna: the First Adventure, by Tamora Pierce, at Leaf's Reviews

An Army of Frogs, by Trevor Pryce and Joel Naftali, at Ms. Yingling Reads  

Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, at YA Book Shelf

The Colossus Rises, by Peter Lerangis, part 3 of a joint review at  Maria's Melange and The Brian Lair

Deadweather and Sunrise (Chronicles of Egg Book 1), by Geoff Rodkey, at Project Mayhem

The Flame and the Mist, by Kit Grindstaff, at Waking Brain Cells

Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman, at Educating Alice

Frogged, by Vivian Vande Venlde, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Garden Princess, by Kristin Kladstrup, at  Ms. Yingling Reads

The House of Secrets, by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini, at Good Books and Good Wine
and Book Dreaming

How I Met My Monster, byR.L. Stine,  at Ms. Yingling Reads

Jinx, by Sage Blackwood, at Bookends

Johnny and the Bomb, by Terry Pratchett, at Time Travel Times Two

The Key and the Flame, by Claire M. Caterer, at Candace's Book Blog

Loki's Wolves, by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr, at Fantasy Literature

Lost Worlds, by Andrew Lane, at The Book Zone

The Menagerie, by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, at Challenging the Bookworm

A Mutiny in Time, by James Dashner, at One Librarian's Book Reviews 

The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann, at We Fancy Books

The Planet Thieves, by Dan Krokos, at Finding Wonderland

The Reluctant Assassin, by Eoin Colfer, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Renegade Magic, by Stephanie Burgis, at Waking Brian Cells

The Runaway King, by Jennifer Nielsen, at alibrarymama, Reads for Keeps, Karissa's Reading Review, and Geo Librarian

The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, by Nikki Loftin, at The Hiding Spot 

Sorrowline (Timesmith, book 1), by Niel Bushnell, at The Children's War

Teacher's Pest, by Charles Gilman, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Tilly's Moonlight Garden, by Julia Green, at The Children's Book Review

Troubletwisters, and The Monster (Troubletwisters 2), by Garth Nix, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Wednesdays in the Tower, by Jessica Day George, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile and Charlotte's Library

Wonder Light: Unicorns of the Mist, by R.R. Russell, at Candace's Book Blog

Authors and Interviews

Geoff Rodkey (The Chronicles of Egg) at Project Mayhem and at Akossiwa Ketoglo

Liesl Shurtliff (Rump) at Cynsations

Adam Glendon Sidwell (The Buttersmith's Gold) at The Write Path (giveaway)

Other Good Stuff

At the Horn Book--"Middle Grade Saved My Life"--thoughts on keeping mg distinct from YA, and why it matters

An excerpt from Faeryland: The Secret World of the Hidden Ones, by John Matthews, at Tor

Neil Gaiman's keynote address from the Digital Minds Conference

This giant rubber ducky (which I found at Tor) is touring the world: